Speaking of design, if you’re also into cool kicks (who isn’t), check out my profile of Brooklyn-based sneaker brand Greats, whose vision is making quality, classic silhouettes at an affordable price point…and reimagining the borough while they’re at it.

I’ve been a Brooklynite for a good long while now, so writing these two pieces for CNN Travel and The Bridgeabout Brooklyn’s nouveau tourism scene was a chance for me to see the borough the way first-time visitors do. True to Brooklyn’s reputation for being “hip” and “with it,” there’s a ton of cool stuff happening in the hotel scene here. Evidence below:

Before I totally forget to give you an update this summer (is it seriously summer already?), here are a few recent pieces I wrote for Budget Travel, including a guide to travel “secrets” in one of my favorite cities, Miami, and my thoughts on why you should visit Joshua Tree National Park, like, yesterday. Take a look-see: